Line #14 Creator/Amblimation


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_amblimation_7096.png]]
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3	Amblimation was the UK-based short-lived animation production arm of Creator/StevenSpielberg's Creator/AmblinEntertainment that was active from [[TheNineties 1991 until about 1997]]. Stationed in London and comprised largely of the animation staff from ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', it was Spielberg's attempt to continue producing animated features after parting ways with Creator/DonBluth. Fievel Mousekewitz from ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' was the company's mascot and appeared in the production logo (see above).
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5	Despite their lavish hand-drawn animation, none of the films were critically or commercially successful and the studio closed in 1997 after only three films and a couple of TV specials. Afterwards, most of the staff migrated to Creator/DreamWorksAnimation, which has since seen far greater success. Today, all references to Amblimation became Amblin Entertainment.
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7	Amblimation was also closely associated with Creator/UniversalAnimationStudios, with whom they co-produced ''A Wish for Wings that Work'' and ''Fievel's American Tails'' and produced a few DirectToVideo sequels to ''Balto''.
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10	!!Films and series produced by Amblimation, in chronological order:
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12	* ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest''
13	* ''WesternAnimation/FievelsAmericanTails'' (TV Series, produced along with Creator/{{Nelvana}})
14	* ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' (TV Series adapting the movie of the same name.)
15	* ''WesternAnimation/WereBackADinosaursStory''
16	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}''
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18	!!This studio's output contains examples of:
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20	* ArtShift: ''Balto'''s animation looks a lot flatter than the heavily shaded character animation of ''Fievel Goes West'' and ''We're Back''.
21	* BlackAndWhiteMorality: [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest All]] [[WesternAnimation/WereBackADinosaursStory three]] [[{{WesternAnimation/Balto}} of]] their films had a very obvious "good guy versus bad guy" conflict.
22	* CerebusSyndrome: ''Balto'' is much more heavy and dramatic than the [[DenserAndWackier dense and wacky]] ''Fievel Goes West'' and ''We're Back''.
23	* CreatorsOddball: Being their only film not to be co-directed by Creator/PhilNibbelink, ''{{WesternAnimation/Balto}}'' noticeably lacks the [[ZanyCartoon zany]] and [[DerangedAnimation bizarre]] cartoon animation of both ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest'' and ''WesternAnimation/WereBackADinosaursStory'' in favor of something more dramatic and realistically grounded.
24	* DerangedAnimation: The staff mainly comprised of animators who had worked on ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'', ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'' and ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' (all of which Spielberg produced), resulting in a delightfully bizarre hybrid of subtle character acting and wacky cartoon hijinks.
25	* ReusedCharacterDesign: As mentioned above, since a lot of the animators at Amblimation previously worked with Don Bluth, there is some obvious influence in a lot of the designs. For instance, [[WesternAnimation/WereBackADinosaursStory Rex and Woog's feral forms]] look a lot like [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime Sharptooth and Cera's father]], respectively. Also, a lot of the minor dog characters in ''{{WesternAnimation/Balto}}'' look like they came straight out of ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', and Steele's smug grin and long snout look a lot like [[WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH Jenner]]'s.
26	* SceneryPorn: A ''lot'' of effort was put into the backgrounds of their films.
27	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
28	** Spielberg tried to get back together with Creator/DonBluth to work for his studio, but Bluth didn't like Spielberg having the final word on all of their collaborations. Considering how badly both Bluth and Amblimation did in the 90s, it's food for thought whether or not they'd have been more successful together.
29	** A film adaptation of ''Theatre/{{Cats}}'' was in the works but the concept was scrapped after the studio closed. [[https://io9.gizmodo.com/stunning-concept-art-for-spielbergs-animated-cats-movie-1599739506?fbclid=IwAR2U2LPpIWS2lQQSjdYFLXzhFvlimN7LV1vLMVgJaGkfZKW2SwPs0lnfpJs Some concept art]] was made public around the time the 2019 special effects-heavy live-action adaptation was announced. Creator/AmblinEntertainment, who still owned the adaptation rights, received a production credit for it.
30	** An adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘’Literature/{{Just So Stories}}’’ was considered but nothing came of it.
31	** ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' began development here as a 2D film. When the studio shut down, Spielberg brought it with him to Creator/DreamWorksAnimation.
32	** At one point, Music/PaulaAbdul and Creator/VirginRecords were in talks to do a feature adaptation of Abdul's video for "Opposites Attract," which famously had Abdul dancing alongside [[RogerRabbitEffect an animated character named MC Skat Kat]]. A spin-off album of the character, ''The Adventures of MC Skat Kat and The Stray Mob'', was released in 1992, but it didn't catch on and the film never materialized. This also would have lead to an animated series on Creator/FoxKids around the same time but that never materialized either.

Context Creator / Amblimation